Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31015956›Full record

ArticleChiropractic & manual therapies2019

The profile of chiropractors managing patients with low back-related leg pain: analyses of 1907 chiropractors from the ACORN practice-based research network.

Matthew Fernandez, Craig Moore, Wenbo Peng, Katie de Luca, Katherine A Pohlman, Michael Swain, Jon Adams

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Chiropractic & manual therapies, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Matthew Fernandez1Department of Chiropractic, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Level 3, Room 369, 17 Wally's Walk, Sydney, NSW Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9802-0573
Craig MooreChiropractic Academy for Research Leadership (CARL), Sydney, Australia.
Wenbo Peng3Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia.
Katie de Luca1Department of Chiropractic, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Level 3, Room 369, 17 Wally's Walk, Sydney, NSW Australia.
Katherine A PohlmanChiropractic Academy for Research Leadership (CARL), Sydney, Australia.
Michael Swain1Department of Chiropractic, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Level 3, Room 369, 17 Wally's Walk, Sydney, NSW Australia.
Jon Adams3Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia.
Macquarie University · AUUniversity of Technology Sydney · AUParker University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Approximately 60% of people with low back pain also have associated leg pain symptoms. Guidelines for low back pain recommend non-pharmacological approaches, including spinal manipulation - a therapy provided by chiropractors. However, limited empirical data has examined the characteristics of chiropractors managing patients with low back-related leg pain (LBRLP). Our objective is to describe the prevalence, profile and practice characteristics of Australian chiropractors who often treat LBRLP, compared to those who do not often treat LBRLP. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample from the Australian Chiropractic Research Network (ACORN). This study investigated the demographic and practice characteristics as well as clinical management of chiropractors who 'often' treated patients with LBRLP compared to those who treated LBRLP 'never/rarely/sometimes'. Multiple logistic regression models identified independent factors associated with chiropractors who 'often' treated patients with LBRLP. Results: A total of 1907 chiropractors reported treating patients experiencing LBRLP, with 80.9% of them 'often' treating LBRLP. Chiropractors who 'often' treated LBRLP were more likely to manage patients with multi-site pain including axial low back pain (OR = 21.1), referred/radicular neck pain (OR = 10.8) and referred/radicular thoracic pain (OR = 3.1). While no specific management strategies were identified, chiropractors who 'often' treated LBRLP were more likely to discuss medication (OR = 1.8), manage migraine (OR = 1.7) and degenerative spine conditions (OR = 1.5), and treat women during pregnancy (OR = 1.6) and people with work-related injuries (OR = 1.5), compared to those not treating LBRLP frequently. Conclusions: Australian chiropractors frequently manage LBRLP, although the nature of specific management approaches for this condition remains unclear. Further research on the management of LBRLP can better inform policy makers and educators interested in upskilling chiropractors to deliver safe and effective treatment of LBRLP.

Indexed as

Pain ManagementAdultAustraliaChiropracticCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLegLow Back PainMaleMiddle AgedPainSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultChiropracticChiropractorLeg painLow back painPractice-based research networkRadicularReferred

Identifiers

PMID31015956
PMCPMC6469207
OpenAlexW2946631070

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.